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Guide to Dining Out

Dining Out in restaurants and pubs should be a pleasurable experience but many people worry about the suitability of the foods! The list below is intended as a guide to the fat content of various meals. It is suggested that some types of foods are avoided, but we all know that in certain circumstances this is not always possible.

As long as such meals are eaten only occasionally it will not affect the overall balance of fats in the diet. It is when these meals are eaten several times a week that the overall fat content of the diet becomes too high, with too much saturated fat.

Sausages, pate, meat pies and hamburgers should be avoided as far as possible.

Chips should be avoided as the oil they have been cooked in is unlikely to be polyunsaturated.Quiches are high in fat, mainly because of the pastry. If this is chosen, vegetable or sea-food quiches are not too high in fat.

Toasted sandwiches – they are usually made with butter.

Indian Restaurants

Ghee is often the fat used to cook with, which is very saturated (this includes butter ghee, vegetable ghee and palm ghee). Vegetable oils are becoming more widely used but remember that vegetable oils are not necessarily polyunsaturated. Again, the most sensible thing to do is to assume the fat used is not suitable and so try to avoid oily/fatty dishes as much as possible.

Choose

Plain naan bread

Poppadoms (if roasted/grilled rather than deep fried)

Chicken dishes with rice

Vegetable dishes e.g. Bombay Aloo, Sag Aloo

“Dry” dishes without sauce e.g. Chicken Tikka

Fruit salad, mango and other fruits, plain flavoured ice-cream and sorbets are acceptable

Coffee – no cream!!

Avoid

Pooris (deep fried bread) and paranthas

Samosas and other fried dishes

Lamb dishes (lamb tends to be a fatty dish)

Dishes containing coconut

Dishes containing cream

Gravy from the dishes as this contains the most fat – try to have just the meat and vegetables

Halva is made with full cream milk and oil and so is high in fat

Kulfi (indian ice-cream) is made with full fat milk and cream so is not suitable

English Restaurants

Choose

Vegetable or clear soups

Melon/grapefruit for starters

Ask for Flora instead of butter for rolls

Salads without heavy dressings such as blue cheese

Grilled foods

Lean meats

Grilled/baked fish

Vegetables and potatoes without butter

Fruit Salad (no cream!!

Plain flavoured ice-cream or sorbets are good choices

Jelly, blancmange, creme caramel or fruit flan on a sponge base are also acceptable for desserts

Avoid

“Cream of” soups

Fried foods

Cheese or cream sauces

Vegetables and potatoes glazed with butter or hard margarine – ask for them without

Desserts such as gateaux, pies, cheesecakes, chocolate desserts

Cream added on desserts as decoration or extra

Cheeseboard

Cream on desserts or in coffee

Italian Restaurants

Olive oil and sunflower oil are sometimes used to cook with – both of which are suitable. However, groundnut (peanut) oil, vegetable oil or butter may also be used which are not suitable. The most sensible thing to do is to assume that the fat used is not suitable and avoid fatty dishes as much as possible. Some places may not mind you asking about the oils they use, then you can act accordingly.

Pizzas

Pizzas are generally high in fat, mainly because of the cheese. Parmesan, Mozzarella and Gorgonzola are common cheeses used – all high in saturated fat.

Choose

Pizzas which do not have cheese in their name and ask for less or no cheese to be added

Seafood, tuna, chicken and vegetable pizzas are acceptable but watch the cheese!

Avoid

ones containing cured meats and sausages such as pepperoni, salami, mortadella, cotechino, luganega which are all high in saturated fat.

Pasta

Pasta dishes with cheese also tend to be high in saturated fat

Avoid

The ones with cheese or cream sauce , and go for ones in tomato sauce or lean meat sauce.

Salads

Choose

Salads in olive oil or sunflower oil dressing are fine. Ricotta cheese is a medium fat curd cheese which is acceptable occasionally

Garlic Bread

Desserts

Fruit salad (without cream) is a good choice or a little vanilla or flavoured ice-cream. Blancmange or jelly and creme caramel are alright occasionally

Sorbets are fine as they are made with water

Fruit flans on a sponge base are alright but avoid any cream decorations

Avoid

Imitation creams such as Dessert Top, Elmlea, Dream Topping as well as dairy creams.

Cheesecakes, pies, fudge cakes, gateaux etc. as all are high in saturated fat.

Fish and Chips

Very little from fish and chip shops is suitable because of the oils used to cook with. They are rarely polyunsaturated oils, because the same oil is used again and again, the oil gradually becomes more saturated. Fish and chip shops are best avoided.

Chinese Restaurants

Blended vegetable oil is commonly used to cook with – which is not necessarily polyunsaturated. Sesame oil is often used to give flavour – this is polyunsaturated oil and so acceptable but only if small quantities are used. Peanut oil might also be used which is not suitable as it is quite saturated. As before, the sensible thing to do is to assume the oil is not suitable and try to avoid oily/fatty dishes as far as possible. Seasoning used in Chinese cookery are often derived from soyabeans e.g. soy sauce, bean pasta, bean curd: all of which are acceptable, although often very salty.